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Houston committee debates requiring backup campaign records, posting non‑filers to ethics commission
Summary
Houston committee members heard that the City Secretary is the local filing authority for campaign filings and debated proposals to require upload of supporting campaign documentation and to publish and report non‑filers to the Texas Ethics Commission.
The Ethics and Governance Committee received a briefing on the City of Houston’s role as a local filing authority for campaign finance reports, personal financial statements and candidate applications and debated proposed local changes to increase transparency and enforcement.
Senior Assistant City Attorney Daniel Folsom and General Counsel Section Chief Rashad Gambrell told the committee that campaign finance reporting is governed by state law under Title 15 of the Texas Election Code and that the Texas Ethics Commission is the enforcement agency for violations. Folsom noted the city’s current electronic filing system is legacy technology and said the city is working toward a modernized platform similar to the state’s.
Councilmember Julian Ramirez proposed two main changes: require candidates to upload supporting campaign documentation (for example, "copies of a bank statement, copies of a credit card statement, copies of checks")…
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